It had been weeks since anyone had stepped foot in the mansion. Anyone meant Alexander and his men. Not the thousands of strange faces they were currently seeing.

Zel was already everywhere.

There were a lot more people at the house than they originally were. Zel almost didn't recognize anyone.

He walked back and hugged Alexander like he was shy. "There's so many people," Zel whispered.

"Don't worry princess they're only fixing a few things around the house," replied Alexander. "Well, some of them."

"Oh," Zel cheered up. "Okay." He climbed up the stairs before anyone else.

Pierre laughed at Zel's quickness to let the matter go.

"Where do you think you're going?" The Master asked and Zel stopped in his tracks.

He was walking in the direction of his old room, probably out of habit. It had better be out of habit.

"What?" He asked innocently.

Alexander couldn't tell whether it was intentional or not. "That way," he pointed to the opposite side, where his room was.

Zel kept walking anyway.

He screamed when he was suddenly lifted off the ground and over Alexander's shoulders.

"Put me down Daddy!" He giggled.

"No, you're having so much trouble finding our room, I'll just have to take you there myself," he said while swatting Zel's bottom once.

Zel yelped and felt his cheeks flame. Especially since he wasn't used to being under the scrutiny of so many eyes.

The bed was a little bigger when they got to the room. A shame, because he loved how they'd all squeezed together that night.

Besides, Alexander's body was a comfortable bed too, he could use that every time they needed more room, which seemed unlikely.

The house looked a little different but Zel couldn't pinpoint what it was exactly, it was like there were small changes everywhere but at the same time, he couldn't see them.

When he got to the library, it was definitely different. The fact that an entire section was dedicated to the books he liked. An entire section.

When had Alexander done that?

Zel couldn't keep still, he dashed out of the room to find him.

He bumped into someone and immediately fell to the floor, stunned for a little bit.

"I'm sorry," Zel apologized immediately he saw her on the floor just like him.

She was beautiful and young, her pigtails expertly done falling on each side of her shoulders. She looked so young. Way younger than Zel.

"I'm Zel," he said. "What's your name?" He wondered if she was one of the people making changes in the house.

"Greta, sir," she said.

Zel got up and helped her up. "Uh... call me Zel, sir is just weird," he giggled.

She had a kind, friendly smile. "The Master said to treat you exactly like we treat him, we always call him sir, that is unless he's being an idiot and you just have to get a point across–"

She looked horrified, but she didn't have to.

Sure, if it wasn't for how fondly she spoke of Alexander, then he'd have a big problem with it. But it was okay, she even sounded kind.

Zel laughed. "Don't worry about it. Just call me Zel. Did you do your own hair? It's amazing!"

She immediately brightened up. "I did! It's my finest work yet," said Greta.

"Will you try it on me?" Zel asked hopefully.

Her face said yes, but her lips said something else. "A-are you sure? You're not joking are you?"

"I'm not," said Zel.

Her face lightened up again. "Okay," she said before saying she had somewhere to be and telling Zel bye.

Zel remembered after some time that he'd been trying to get to Alexander.

He found him busy on his computer, with Pierre leaning on his shoulder.

"The library!" Zel approached the Master and he looked up. "The libr–"

"Oh, that," he said and smiled. "I thought you might like that."

Zel climbed on top of him to give him a big kiss. "I love you, you know that?"

Alexander's smile widened. "I didn't catch that," he said. "What did you say?"

Zel frowned. "You're doing it on purpose. But I love you."

"I love you too princess," he replied.

"I also bumped into Greta," he said excitedly. "She seemed nice."

"She didn't talk your ear off did she?" Asked Alexander.

Zel shook his head and smiled. "Where is everyone anyway?" He asked.

Speaking of the devils, as soon as he asked it, the others filed into the room.

Zel dropped down against Pierre and tangled their legs together.

"Mon chérie," Pierre said, causing Zel to blush really hard.

Alexander could die from all their cuteness.

"You have that look again," Riley said to Alexander. "What are you thinking so hard about?" He took the computer and put it away.

He thought he'd sit next to Alexander and look him in the eye but he was wrong.

He sat alright, but between Alexander's thighs. He felt his chin on his shoulder as he was held possessively.

"I'm just thinking of visiting his grave..." said Alexander. "I've never been."

Riley managed to hear him over the thunderous beating in his chest.

He knew Alexander said it like it was anything, but this meant a lot to him. He understood it was something he needed to do.

"I'm wondering if you'd all come with me," said Alexander.

The man currently burying his face in his neck waited for an answer. Riley realized he hadn't said a thing since he sat down.

Pierre spoke before he could clear his throat. "We will, obviously."

Alexander looked up and smiled. "Really? I...thank you."

Jet scoffed. "Did you really think we'd say no? Really?"

Alexander shrugged.

Pierre crossed his arms and shook his head. "I should punish you for thinking that." He pouted like the most adorable thing on earth.

༻༺

Alexander was actually doing it, walking towards Noah's grave. And his feet weren't having second thoughts and turning around.

Maybe it was Zel's smile, or maybe it was the way Pierre linked their arms together or it was all of them being there for him. Either way he'd found the peace within that he didn't think he needed. Noah would have been so proud.

Alexander couldn't help but sink to his knees when he finally got to the grave.

He forgot about the single tulip in his hand when he saw the headstone.

It didn't say Noah McClure like it should have. Instead, it read:

'Noah Kane
Don't you dare cry'

Alexander laughed at the warning. They were never married, they never got to that part, but even in his death, even after everything, he made sure to do this.

"He... he..." Alexander was at a loss for words.

Riley knelt right next to him. "Really, really loved you," he completed for Alexander.

He placed his tulip next to Alexander's and then everyone else did.

It was silly but Alexander introduced each one of them to him. They laughed. The men he loved didn't hesitate to call him out on anything Noah might have missed.

He'd never felt freer in his life.

༻༺

In next few weeks, Mason also had a few things to sort out.

Jet found him minutes away from leaving. "Is everything alright?" Jet asked.

"I need to go back for a while, my sister called," he had on an expression that didn't sit well with Jet. "I'll be back."

"What's wrong?" He Jet.

"I'll tell you when I'm back," Mason answered.

"Are you sure? Do you want me to come with you?"

Mason didn't give him an answer, so Jet asked for it. "Let me come with you."

Mason was looking anywhere but him. He had his face fixed on the floor. Jet lifted his chin up to look at him.

Mason pursed his lips and nodded.

༻༺

Mason's sister looked nothing nothing like him, she'd introduced herself as Julie and seemed nice enough.

Mason's niece on the other hand, looked like a female replica of him. Like he was her actual father.

Jet waited with her as Mason talked to his sister in the kitchen. He could tell it was a big argument, but the voices were muffled apart from a few times they nearly shouted.

"They fight all the time," the little girl said, combing a hand through her short hair. Mason had said her name was Anna.

Jet had no clue about how to act around children. He was even sure what he was supposed to say to that.

Thankfully she spoke next.

"Look at all the drawings on your arms," she said in awe. "I heard those hurt. Did it hurt?"

"They do hurt," said Jet.

The voices from the other room carried on to where Jet and Anna were.

"Let's face it Juls, you only want her when you've got a new boyfriend! What sort of mother does that?!" Jet had never heard Mason sound so angry.

He tried to keep distracting her with his tattoos. "See this one?" He pointed to a tattoo of piano keys on his forearm. Anna's attention quickly snapped to it. "Hurt so much, but I didn't even cry." He said.

"Nooo...really?" She looked blown away. Her eyes wide as she looked up at Jet.

"I can't just let you take her away from me all the time, she's practically grown up with me. Can you even name her favorite color? Her favorite plushy? Every time you bring her back to me, she cries herself to sleep the first night and says she doesn't want to go back, because the entire time you took her, you neglected her because your boyfriend was taking you out or some other fucking  crap like that," Mason was fuming.

Jet was pretty sure it wasn't right for children to hear such things so openly. He got up and walked in on their argument.

"I can't let my Anna have such an unstable life at her age–" Mason paused when he saw him.

"I'm taking her for a walk," Jet said.

"I just met you today," Julie started. "I can't trust–"

Jet took a step towards her and placed his hand on the counter. "I'm taking her for a walk so unless your name is Mason, I don't care about what you have to say. This argument alone is enough to tell who the child's true parent is. It isn't you."

She seemed stunned that he talked to her like that. Jet knew he wasn't right to say that. It wasn't his place, but it made him angry to see Mason angry, and he acted without reason.

He knew he'd hurt her feelings, but he wasn't going to take his words back.

Mason's stepped in front of him and put a hand to his chest. He nodded. "She likes watching the ducks by the pond."

It was a few yards away from the house. He'd seen it as they drove up to the house.

Anna was already by the door when he got to her. As if excited they would be anywhere but here.

Jet saw the ducks before he even crouched by the pond, watching the little girl play.

He soon learnt all the weird names Anna had given them. "That's Reykjavik and that's Cruella."

"What's the first one?" He asked.

"Reykjavik! It's the capital of Iceland! You know, where everyone lives in ice houses," she said.

"I can't pronounce it," said Jet as he leaned back.

"It's okay, I'll teach you. I taught Macey too," she said excitedly.

After Jet pretended to finally get it after a struggle, she sat down next to him.

"Ducks are the best," she said and fixed her hair behind her ear.

"Are they now?" Jet asked. Zel had once said the same exact thing.

"They are, I wish I was a duck," she said.

Jet laughed. "You'd look ridiculous!" He said.

His laugh died down when he saw her glassy eyes brimming with tears ready to fall.

"No no!" Said Jet. He was so fucking horrible at this. Not even ten minutes and he was already making her cry.

"I didn't mean–"

She walked away from him and sat a few feet away, crossing her arms and pouting.

"Anna, I'm sorry, I didn't mean that," Jet said with all the sincerity he could muster.

Who knew it would be so frustrating to have a little child mad at him.

She continued to ignore him and even went as far as turning his back on both him and the pond.

Jet sighed and got up and went to sit next to her. He continued to look at the water while her back remained turned to it.

"This is bad," said Jet. "Reykjavik is hurting Cruella."

Anna turned immediately. "He would never–" She stopped when she realized the trick. She looked at Jet. "I'm not talking to you."

Jet smiled. "You looked."

"Only because Reykjavik is the sweetest. Cruella picks on him a lot, and that's when Drake comes to save him, I don't know why he won't come out today," she said.

Jet took the moment to make amends. "Hey I'm sorry," he said. "You'd make a very beautiful duck."

She suddenly got stars in her eyes. "You really mean that?"

Jet nodded. "The best."

That earned him a peck to his cheek and just like that, it was forgotten.

They walked further away from the pond, leaving the house behind.

"Can I have two dads now?" Asked Anna.

You can have six, said Jet's thoughts.

"Are you and Macey married?" She asked again.

"I'm his boyfriend," said Jet

"So does that mean you don't want to marry him?"

Jet couldn't tell her how absurd that sounded. He spoke without even thinking. "Fuck, I want to marry him."

Anna looked up at him. "Macey says swearing is bad."

"Oops," said Jet. "He's right. I'm just really stubborn."

"Can I be stubborn like you?"

Just how many questions could she ask in a minute?

"Nope," said Jet. "But let's go get something you like." In one swift move, he lifted her to sit on his shoulders and she giggled excitedly. "What do you like?"

She answered immediately. "Ice cream!"

"Okay," said Jet. He just hoped he wasn't doing anything wrong.

He got carried away spending time with Anna. He didn't think spending time with a child alone could be so fun.

Sure, she talked his ear off but it surprised him how keenly he paid attention to everything she had to say.

"She was in the middle of composing a whale song for him when he heard his phone ping with a message.

'Where are you guys? Get back already'

"Come on Anna, let's head back," he told Anna as she finished her ice cream.

She ran to Mason the moment she saw him, completely ignoring her mom.

"Macey!" She hugged him. "Jet took me to the pond and we walked around and he said he wants to marry you, he even used a swear word because he's stubborn then he got me ice cream and he liked my whale song and he–"

"Woah, slow down sweetie," Mason stopped her from denying her lungs more air.

Julie walked over and crouched next to her daughter. "Come on, love," she said. "We're leaving."

"What no!" Tears immediately filled her eyes, making the confusion in them swim. "Macey I don't want to go please let me go with you," she cried.

Mason couldn't speak so Jet put a firm hand around his waist.

"Come on, Anna," Julie cajoled her little girl.

"I don't want to go with you!" Anna said.

Juliet looked to Mason. He shrugged like he was trying to say 'I told you so'. "Last chance," he said to her.

She nodded once before getting out with the reluctant little girl.

The tears fell down Mason's face immediately the door was shut.

He threw his arms around Jet's shoulder and sobbed into it.

"It's going to be okay. Okay?"

Mason nodded into his shoulder. "I know children should grow up with their parents," he cried. "But she...she doesn't even care about her. I don't think she even loves her. Not like I do."

Jet ran a comforting hand down his back. "It's going to be alright, she's going to blow that chance you gave her, and then it'll be over. I just know it," said Jet.

"You really think so?" He asked.

"I wouldn't say it if I didn't," answered Jet.

Mason quietened a little. "Do you really want to marry me?" He suddenly asked, still wrapping his arms around Jet's neck.

"Both you and your niece ask too many questions," said Jet.

A cross between a laugh and a sob escaped Mason's lips. "That's the weirdest yes I've ever heard."